Dependency in Fantasy Sports

[DOUGHBOYS]

As I study fully during the off season, the difference between fantasy football and fantasy baseball becomes more in focus.
I play fantasy football and have a team with my daughter. Both games are numbers driven. The difference being that fantasy football numbers, while associated with one player, are dependent on many other factors. Fantasy baseball players numbers are more pure. I'll get to that later.

Fantasy football is made up of 16 games. One tenth of a baseball season. Those games are even less when thinking of teams that do not make it in the playoff format. Fantasy baseball snobs can look at this and snicker, but this actually works as an advantage for fantasy football. For the most part, Americans are not marathoners, they are sprinters. There attention span has become that of the length of time taken to check messages on a cell phone.
The shorter season may be the chief reason why fantasy football is more popular than fantasy baseball. It is a part time job compared to baseballs full time job plus overtime.

The ease of playing fantasy football also plays into fans hands that do not want to study much. There is no VORP or WAR or OPS in fantasy football. There is touches.
This is where I get off the fantasy football train, while so many passengers remain to ride the tracks.
And no, it is not being a snob and saying that there are so many ways to quantify a baseball players numbers and few for football players. It is that 'touches' part.
In baseball, we are guaranteed 'touches'. Each player comes to bat or pitches a ball. We measure the talent after the hitting or missing of that baseball.
Fantasy football is not completely driven by talent. Not the way baseball is driven by talent.
Each player in football needs an assist.

Lets take an example. My favorite example.
Larry Fitzgerald.
Larry Fitzgerald is a wonderful receiver. How good of a receiver is he?
We don't know.
Fitzgerald flourished on a team when his team was in a passing offense. He was thought to be the best receiver in football for a time. The talent unquestioned.
But as a receiver in football, talent can be taken away by four different sources. And Fitzgerald has felt them all. Making him almost a footnote every Sunday.

1) The opposing defensive player. It is a given that Fitzgerald will have to face a defensive teams best cover guy. This can be overcome easily by a player of Fitzgerald's talent.

2) Defensive Coaches. Defensive coaches may know that Fitzgerald will beat their guy. More bumping, double teaming, triple teaming is employed. This is a lot tougher to overcome.

3) Fitzgerald's Coaches. Fitzgerald's coaches have to game plan him. They could use him as a decoy. They could give him routes that are meaningless, they could run the ball a lot. Fitzgerald is at the mercy of his coaching. Which currently, has never used his talent to the fullest.

4) His quarterback. In the NFL, a great quarterback can make a meager receiver look good. A bad quarterback can render a great receiver almost meaningless.

All of these detriments, none of which are Fitzgerald's fault, conspire to make a great fantasy receiver, an ordinary receiver.

In baseball, talent wins out. A great hitter HAS to hit. He can be walked or pitched around for a time but eventually, he HAS to hit.
It's the beauty of fantasy baseball. Talent does win out. Lets take the same examples for a baseball player. We'll use Robinson Cano.
Cano is/was the best hitter in the Yankees lineup. Above all players in that lineup, pitchers least wanted to pitch to Cano.
1) The Opposing Pitchers) Cano does not see a teams best pitcher as Fitzgerald sees a teams best defender. The opposing pitcher is the soup of the day.

2)Opposing Managers. Opposing Managers will go into most games saying, 'Don't let Cano be the one that hurts us'. They say that about every best hitter they face. Mostly, it is forgotten when the game begins. With nobody on base or first base occupied, Cano will see pitches. He;ll only be pitched around or intentionally walked with runner(s) on and first base not occupied.

3) Cano's Manager. Baseball Managers jobs are putting their players in the best possible place for a win. They do not have to use 'decoys'. Cano is something that cannot be avoided. He is in the middle of the lineup.

4) Cano's quarterback. This is truly the difference between football and baseball. Cano's talent is not based on what another player. It'd be nice if there were an on base machine hitting in front of Cano. That would be icing on a cake though. Cano's stats are not tied to a quarterback.

In setting our fantasy lineup today, I put the players in with the best chance to succeed. These players could be 'game planned' for or used as 'decoys' today. Fantasy football enthusiasts will chalk it up as part of the game.
I get that.
I don't like it, but I get it.
I miss that 'My best can beat your best' mentality. The 'My talent will win out' attitude'.
We get that in baseball.
In football, 'my best against your best' and 'My talent will win out' is dependent on many other factors or even other players.

So, I'll set that lineup and maybe tune in and get a glimpse of those players today.
But mostly, I'll be studying fantasy baseball and reading my new Bill James Handbook.
Football season is already more than half over. That's the problem with sprints. No matter how much enjoyed, the moments are gone quickly.
If seeing Robinson Cano's name during that study today, I'll wonder.
I'll wonder how he did against lefties.
I'll wonder how many of his homers were ball park factors.
I'll wonder how hitting in another park would affect those numbers.
And I'll wonder if Carson Palmer and defensive and offensive coaches stars aligned in giving Larry Fitzgerald 'touches'.
Be it gambling, alcohol, drugs, or fantasy football, dependency is a bitch.